NA

1. Customer Service
HOW TO HANDLE ANGRY CUSTOMERS

2. We all are very Angry 2

3. Handling angry customers can be one of the most challenging
aspects of a job. Whether they confront you face-to-face, or you
speak with them over the phone, chances are you are going to
be met with frustration, aggressive anger, and little patience.
The key to successfully managing an angry customer is to
remain calm.
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4. Remain calm and adjust your mindset
No one likes to get confronted by a yelling, heated
person. However, your job in this situation is to stay
cool and collected. While you may have the urge to yell
right back at them, fight the urge!
Yelling and getting angry will only escalate the situation.
Instead, put on your best customer service attitude and
buckle down--it’s time to get to work.
Never use sarcasm or obviously faked politeness.
Behaving in such a way will only fuel the customer’s
rage and will make the situation a whole lot worse.
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5. Listen actively to what the customer is saying
An angry customer generally just wants
someone to vent their anger to and today, you
are that person. That means that you need to
do your best to listen carefully to what they are
saying. Give the customer your undivided
attention--do not look around, space out or let
other things distract you.
When you listen to them, listen for the answers
to these questions: What happened to make
them upset? What do they want? What can you
do to help?
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6. Separate your feelings from the situation
If the customer is particularly angry, he or she may
say something (or several things) that are really
rude.
Keep in mind that you should not take it personally-
-he or she is upset with the business, the product,
or the service they have been provided with--they
are not upset with you as a person.
You will have to set your personal feelings aside.
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7. Also bear in mind, that if the customer becomes
too abusive, or seems really threatening, you
should tell them that you will go get your
supervisor or someone else to help you resolve
this problem.
When you are walking back to the customer, fill
your supervisor or helper in on the situation and
explain why you felt you needed to come get them
(i.e.. you felt really threatened, etc.)
If worse comes to worse, you may have to end the
call after informing the customer.
Separate your feelings from the situation
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8. Repeat the customers concerns
Once the customer is done venting, make sure you
know exactly what it is they are upset about. If you are
still feeling a little unclear, repeat what you think the
customer is upset about, or ask him questions.
Repeating the problem back to the customer will show
him that you were listening, and will also let you
confirm the problem that needs to be fixed.
A good way to make sure that you know exactly what
the problem is, is to use calm and collected wording
like “I understand that you are upset, and rightly so,
that the product is still not delivered to you and its way
beyond the time mentioned.
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9. Actively Empathize
Showing empathy will help make the customer
understand that you really are trying to help them.
Once you have confirmed what the problem is, show
them that you feel really bad about it, and completely
understand why they are upset. Say something like.
“I completely understand your frustration--waiting for
the order, especially when you’re really excited about
it.”
“You are right to be annoyed--delivery delays are
upsetting.
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10. Apologize wherever necessary
Let the customer know that you are genuinely sorry
that this happened to them--regardless of whether or
not you think they are being a bit dramatic about the
situation.
Along with empathizing, apologizing can go a long
way. Sometimes upset customers just want to have
someone apologize to them for the bad service.
“I am extremely sorry about the whole deal of the order
not reaching you in time as promised and let’s see
what we can do to make this right”
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11. Call your manager over if the customer asks you to
If you are in the process of handling a situation and the
customer demands that you call your manager or
supervisor over, it is best to follow the wishes of the
customer.
However, if you can avoid having to get your manager
involved, do it.
Handling a situation on your own will show your
supervisor that you have the wherewithal to deal with
angry customers in a calm and collected manner.
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13. Offer a possible solution or solutions
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Now that you have heard what the customer is upset
about, you should come up with a solution to provide
them with.
If you feel like you know a solution that will make your
customer happy, then present it to them. For example:
“I completely understand you being upset about the
order you were so anxiously waiting for. I want to make
an attempt to do something extra for you. Please
accept the voucher of ___amount that can be used at
no minimum purchase value. I will ensure this voucher
gets to your email in no time.”

14. Ask the customer for feedback
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If you are not completely sure what would make
your customer happy, then simply ask them what
would they like to have be done about the problem?
Is there an outcome that would make them
satisfied? Say something like; “What would you like
to have happen? If it is within my power, I will see
that it gets done.”

15. Take action immediately
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Tell your customer what you will do next to ensure that
the problem is resolved.
Give them your contact information, particularly if you
are speaking with them over the phone, so that they
can contact you if the problem arises again.

16. Take several minutes to yourself after the ordeal
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Once your customer has left or you have hung
up with them, take a few minutes to process
what just happened and allow yourself to calm
down.
Even if the customer left happily, these sort of
situations can be really stressful. Take a few
moments to destress and clear your mind.

17. Follow up with the customer
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Give your customer a call once the problem has
been resolved.
Ask them if everything is going smoothly.
When you can, go the extra mile by sending a
handwritten apology or by giving them a discount on
their next purchase.

18. Tips
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 Try not to take their complaint personally - even if it's about your own job performance. If you feel
yourself become emotionally involved in the issue, it is best to step aside and let another employee
handle the situation.
 Think about how you would want a problem handled if you had a complaint. Then, treat your angry
customer as you would want to be treated.
 A customer complaint can be a vehicle for customer retention. If you handle the customer
appropriately and apologize effectively you can turn a negative into a positive.

19. Tips
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 One technique to help you not take things personally is to remind yourself that while customer
opinions are "important", they pale in comparison to those of your family and friends. Remind
yourself that you don't want to allow a stranger to ruin your day, or an hour, or even a minute of your
life.
 Some customers are known to complain about anything. If you come across one of those customers,
try to discuss with your manager whether this client is beneficial to the company or whether it might
be worth it to lose him. The time wasted on one client like this could be dedicated to patients that are
"true" customers.
 If you simply cannot give the customer what they want, give them something for free (you may need
a manager's approval) to make up for it.

20. Thank you
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